drabbed; drabbing
: to associate with prostitutes
a waster, an idler; drinking and drabbing—
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley1
textiles
: any of various cloths of a dull brown or gray color
dressed in drabs
2
a
: a light olive brown
b
: a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality
drabber; drabbest
1
a
: of the dull brown color of drab (see drab entry 3 sense 1)
b
: of a light olive brown color : of the color drab (see drab entry 3 sense 2a)
drably
adverb
drabness
noun
: a small amount
—usually used in the phrase dribs and drabs
receiving donations in dribs and drabs
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Adjective
Examples of drab in a Sentence
Adjective
He lives a drab life.
the new city hall promises to be another drab pile of masonry for the town
Recent Examples on the WebSebastian Smee, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
During the fall and winter, male goldfinches appear unrecognizable in their drab gray-green feathers.
—Cecilia Garzella, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Aniline Dye Period dramas set in the high Victorian era often make the same rookie mistake: dressing actors in drab, dun colors, as if the queen’s decades-long dedication to mourning was a society-wide diktat.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
The prospect of making the pilgrimage to many of the spots contained therein was far-fetched, but scrolling through the list lent a warmth to that drab afternoon, now filled with richly detailed daydreams about skinny-dipping at a five-star hotel in Gstaad.
—Adina Glickstein, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
After these scenes, which play out like a Rick Owens runway show at the 1936 Olympics, the desiccated landscapes and drab Fremen uniforms of the planet Arrakis look that much more vital by comparison.
—Jacob Brogan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
During my February visit, Rockin’ River Ranch still wore the drab earth tones of winter.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
An incompetent spy from drab, dismal Graylandia, thwarts the his country ’s plans to invade the vibrant, if chaotic neighboring Colorlandia.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024
This prelude to their big kiss is meant to hook Part 1 into Part 2, but there’s no compelling romance, mission, or fascination that connects these characters to the dark, drab homeland.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Ser Serpas, on the other hand, has created an installation that is tarnished, drab and bereft even of dignity, let alone favorable lighting.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024
During the fall and winter, male goldfinches appear unrecognizable in their drab gray-green feathers.
—Cecilia Garzella, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Aniline Dye Period dramas set in the high Victorian era often make the same rookie mistake: dressing actors in drab, dun colors, as if the queen’s decades-long dedication to mourning was a society-wide diktat.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
The prospect of making the pilgrimage to many of the spots contained therein was far-fetched, but scrolling through the list lent a warmth to that drab afternoon, now filled with richly detailed daydreams about skinny-dipping at a five-star hotel in Gstaad.
—Adina Glickstein, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024
After these scenes, which play out like a Rick Owens runway show at the 1936 Olympics, the desiccated landscapes and drab Fremen uniforms of the planet Arrakis look that much more vital by comparison.
—Jacob Brogan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
During my February visit, Rockin’ River Ranch still wore the drab earth tones of winter.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
An incompetent spy from drab, dismal Graylandia, thwarts the his country ’s plans to invade the vibrant, if chaotic neighboring Colorlandia.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024
This prelude to their big kiss is meant to hook Part 1 into Part 2, but there’s no compelling romance, mission, or fascination that connects these characters to the dark, drab homeland.
—Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to drab
Dictionary Entries Near drab
Cite this Entry
“Drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drab. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share